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Free Verse

CarneiroThe head of a sheepInside


Carneiro

The head of a sheep

Inside a brain split in two

Left for reason, right for art.

Outside for who? What? Where? When?

Me.

Both.

Here.

Always.

Never one but two and maybe three.

 

The reason of Nazca1 and Pachamama2

The art of Marinera3 and Zampoña4

The reason of our Jeitinho5 and a Amazona6

The art of Carnaval7 and Bossa Nova8

 

Does their reason stay true for me?

Does their art apply to me?

When there is also life, liberty, property?

 

Because Carneiro is not one or other or all or none

Instead, it is leaving and it is joining

While 3 compete to survive.

And new kills the old

Until agreement

To create that new mix

Inside their one-of-a-kind bowl

Or do they melt everything brought

Everything, just everything on the inside of their pot?

 

 

 

 

1The Nazca civilization in Peru known for the Nazca lines etched to reflect astronomical and spiritual beliefs

2Incan belief of the Earth Mother goddess, Pachamama, and the celebration in her honor symbolizing nature, fertility, and balance.

3A traditional coastal Peruvian dance representing elegance and cultural pride

4A traditional Andean pan-flute instrument which is a key component to much indigenous music

5 A Brazilian term often used to describe the culture’s relaxed and adaptable approach to life

6The Amazon region in Brazil known for its complex navigation and nature

7 A festive tradition in Brazil featuring music, dancing, and parades which has grown to be a defining expression of Brazilian and Latin American identity

8A Brazilian music genre that blends elements of jazz and traditional samba

 

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This Poem's Voice

Your Poem's Voice

PersonalThemeAbstract

Blends personal identity with abstract philosophical inquiry about cultural hybridity and belonging.

SparseMeasureDense

Dense clustering of ideas: reason vs. art, cultural references, existential questions compressed tightly.

DarkSentimentBright

Contemplative uncertainty with slight anxiety about identity; neither dark nor celebratory.

StillEnergyExplosive

Fragmented syntax and staccato phrases create urgency; questioning tone drives momentum forward.

MicroLengthEpic

Approximately 28 lines including footnotes; falls in 16-30 range.

PlainFigurativeOrnamented

Rich metaphor (brain split, pot/bowl), personification (reason/art competing), cultural allusions throughout.

LyricVoiceDramatic

Primarily lyric/internal voice; introspective questioning without dramatic persona or narrative arc.

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